Rock-carved Seated Buddha of Donghwasa Temple, Daegu

This image of the Buddha is seated in the meditation pose on a lotus pedestal riding on a cloud. The right hand is in the Bhumi-sparsa mudra, or the Gesture of Calling the Earth to Witness against Evil, the symbolic gesture that Buddha took at the moment he reached enlightenment. The robe is draped over both shoulders and around the Buddha are circular devices signifying light-the halo behind his head and the aura behind his body. The haloes are carved with two lines inside and intricate flame patterns outside. The Buddha has hair in the "snail pattern" with a protuberance on the top symbolizing supreme wisdom. The inlayed jewel in the forehead symbolizing infinite sight is missing. The elaborate lotus pedestal design, the complex flame patterns, the clustered folds of the robe and the formal rendering of the body are stylistic features which indicate that this image can be dated to the Unified Silla period(668~935).

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08